Mad about cricket? Pick the winning team for the future

Transition: The most apt word to describe the state of the Indian cricket team. Three of the Fabulous Four of the Indian middle order are gone; the biggest of them, the last one standing, has one foot out of the door.

The opener who used to be the scourge of bowling attacks across the world is scraping around for runs. The young batting brigade have yet to arrive, even if they offer tantalising glimpses of class. The leader of the quick men looks more vulnerable with every series. And most galling of all, the spinners have been outbowled by their rivals in visiting teams.

It feels like a long time ago that we used to be the No. 1 Test side. The 50-over World Cup win is a distant memory.

But wait: Out of these ruins, surely, a new team will arise and carry the hopes of a billion fans. Fans who travel from stadium to stadium, paint their faces saffron, white and green, shout themselves hoarse and tire their arms out waving Indian flags.

Here, dear reader, is your chance to influence how that new team is made. And an opportunity to match your wits with five former selectors, including two chief selectors.

Presenting the Hindustan Times Team for the Top. Selected by Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Bishan Singh Bedi, Kiran More, Ashok Malhotra and Madan Lal.Get online at hindustantimes.com, and pick the sides that will take us to the top in Test and one-day cricket. Those entries that most closely match our selectors’ choices win attractive prizes including tickets to a Test match versus Australia. We will announce the selectors’ teams, and the winners, later this month.

And that’s not all: we will collate the public vote and present a popular choice team to the chairman of the current selection panel, Sandeep Patil.

So get voting. It’s your chance to show off your expertise — and to influence the national selectors: Pick your team contest